The Estevan Police Service (EPS) has released updates on three recent serious accidents that happened in Estevan.
The first entailed two pedestrians being struck by a pickup truck on Oct. 6, an incident that left one victim dead and the other in the hospital in Regina in serious condition. No charges have been laid as of yet.
The second incident was a two-vehicle collision on Kensington Ave. on Oct. 10, during which a vehicle travelling in the wrong lane struck a taxi cab head-on, which lead to the passengers in the taxi and the driver of the other vehicle suffering serious injuries for which they are still hospitalized in Regina. No charges have been laid, but the collision is under investigation, and alcohol3 was a factor.
The third was a fatal single-vehicle accident on Oct. 14 in southeast Estevan, in which a vehicle travelling on Fourth Avenue left the roadway and struck a tree in a nearby field, resulting in the death of one passenger, and the hospitalization of another.
The driver, Karry Biette of Estevan, is facing five charges in the incident: impaired driving causing death, impaired driving causing bodily harm, dangerous operation causing death, dangerous operation causing bodily harm and criminal negligence causing death.
“What’s really concerning is the seriousness of the collisions and injuries relating to these incidents. Alcohol was a factor in two of these incidents,” said police Chief Paul Ladouceur. “We have said time and time again, on numerous occasions, how drinking and driving can lead to catastrophic consequences. Now we’re seeing it. The local police aren’t going to tolerate this behaviour, nor should the public.”
“There will be zero tolerance for impaired driving in this community. The public needs to be reminded that driving is a privilege, not a right. We will be stopping as many vehicles as we possibly can,” said Ladouceur. “It’s discouraging to see these types of incidents occurring within our community, because they are 100 per cent preventable. There’s no excuse for this type of incident to occur.”
The new zero-tolerance policy entails a series of traffic check blitzes the police plan to implement in the coming months. Blitzes will involve random spot-checks for sobriety. The EPS will be working in conjunction with the Combined Traffic Services of Saskatchewan (CTSS), which entails cooperation with the Weyburn Police Service and RCMP.
“The public can certainly expect to see RCMP vehicles, Weyburn police vehicles, and Estevan police vehicles throughout the city in coming weeks,” said Estevan police Chief Paul Ladouceur. “If you’re driving in the city, prepare to be stopped, because we have a duty to ensure safety in the community. We will be stopping vehicles at a random frequency to check sobriety.”
Ladouceur noted particular care will be taken to do random road stops and spot checks for vehicles near licensed establishments in the city, which have been identified as areas that are particularly at risk.
Ladouceur encouraged the public to remain vigilant, adding that there will be more Report Impaired Drivers (RID) signs going up within the city, in the coming weeks. He encouraged the public to heed the message of the RID signs; to pull over and call 9-11 immediately.
“By doing that, you may prevent a serious collision, you may prevent a death,” said Ladouceur. “The public plays a vital role in reducing impaired driving in this community.”
The Oct. 21 edition of the Estevan Mercury will have more on this story.
